Chapter 0005

ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER.

JACE.

I climbed out of my four-wheel drive and adjusted my sunglasses before heading inside the packhouse. It was fucking hot this afternoon, and I wanted to dip in the pool.

I had our packhouse extended and rebuilt to make the indoor pool bigger, so I had a place to hang out with the Alpha Circle.

At this point in our lives, only a few of us were Alphas and the rest were still waiting for their fathers to hand down the title.

All of my friends were Alphas of the South. I was the only one on the East Coast, and because my territory was big and too far from the South, I refused to leave it for a while, as I didn’t have the luxury of time to travel back and forth just to see them. So instead, I forced them to see me from time to time and spend a day or two here so we could all catch up with each other.

I tossed my glasses and shirt, which I had pulled off my body on the couch, down the hallway of the large building that led to the pool. I wanted to jump in and cool down, only to be disappointed when I heard giggles ringing in the air. Someone got in there before me, but I wanted to check to see if they were done already.

I heard footsteps behind me before I could reach the extension to the pool. "Do you want to swim?"

I tilted my head back to look at my Beta, Tyler, and my forehead creased at the sight of him carrying two tall glasses of fruit smoothies.

"Catherine asked you again instead of the Omegas."

"No problem, man. I volunteered."

I just nodded my head as we swung into the corner and the indoor pool came into view.

Catherine was in the pool and immediately climbed out when she saw us. While Amara was standing there looking at her with her back to us. Her round ass was in my view.

She was wearing a white string bikini that hid almost nothing. I’d seen her many times in those bikinis, but this was definitely skimpier than the last one.

This one looked like a fucking string with just a little piece of cloth attached to it.

And I should stop staring.

"There’s my smoothie! What took you so long?" Catherine took the long glass from Tyler before mouthing a thank you to him.

"The omegas are occupied, so I had to do it myself."

"Aren’t you a sweetheart, Beta Tyler?" Amara said as she took a glass from him. "That’s why Catherine is taking advantage of you."

Of course, everyone knew that what Catherine wants, Catherine gets. She had an innocent smile and puppy eyes that could make anyone obey even her most absurd request. And Tyler wasn’t immune to it.

"Exactly." I shook my head before I faced Catherine. "How many times do I have to tell you, Tyler is my Beta, not your errand boy…"

Catherine swallowed as her eyes turned glassy, and I knew what would come next.

"It’s okay, Alpha. I’m not complaining. I’m done with my task, and…"

I raised my hand to stop him from talking. Growing up, this was the scenario all the time. Tyler always had her back, and she was taking advantage of it.

"I didn’t force him. I asked if he could... I didn’t order." Catherine stated as she looked at my Beta as if she was asking help.

"It’s okay. Seriously. Let’s move on." Tyler looked at me, and I knew this look was a plea to let it go.

"Are you done with the pool?" I asked instead, crossing my arms against my chest as my eyes shifted from my sister to Amara.

"Flexing your muscles won’t help you from throwing us out of the pool. We just started." Amara said.

"Why are you here anyway? It’s the weekend. You should be driving home." I asked her.

Amara was in her last year in the academy, and she would usually head home on weekends.

"Catherine wants to hang out," she answered back.

"And where are Amber and Cassidy?" The other two females with whom they spend the majority of their time.

"Cassidy is at the dorm. She needs to finish some project due on Monday." Catherine answered.

Among the four of them, Cassidy was the most serious when it came to studying. But all of them were doing so well at school that I had no complaints at all. So I just let Catherine do whatever she wanted since she was in good company.

"While Zach picked up Amber, and they’re heading home," Amara added as she bent directly in front of me to pick up her drink from the low table, and I was sure she hiked up her ass a bit so I could see it.

"You mean Amber demanded Zach pick her up, drive twenty-six fucking hours back and forth when she could have taken the train to head home or used her car to drive on her own?"

"Zach is gentlemanly enough to do it. Unlike you, who snapped at everything. Goddess, Jace, loosen up." Amara rolled her eyes at me before sipping her smoothies, and my eyes got stuck on her lips because of the way she was sucking the straw.

"Well, Zach wasn’t forced to pick her up. And I think he likes being Amber’s bodyguard." Catherine defended her.

"Like you self-proclaimed Beta Tyler as yours?" Amara teased her.

Tyler laughed, but he didn’t say anything. I knew my sister and him had been inseparable since birth, but I was not worried. Tyler was like me, he would never cross any lines with Catherine. And I would never trust Catherine with anyone as much as I trusted him with her.

Only my Gamma was a man-whore here, and I was grateful that he was my cousin, so all the females in the packhouse were his relatives.

"I’m the only one without a bodyguard." Amara huffed.

"You’re probably stronger than any warrior that will be assigned to you," Tyler told her.

"Except if he’s an Alpha." Her eyes locked with mine, and I saw the mischievousness flitting in them. "Would you like to be my bodyguard, Jace?"

"Alpha Jace, Amara." I corrected her.

"He’s so grumpy." I heard Cathrine murmur to Tyler.

"Nope. Not calling you Alpha. You can wish that to the Goddess, but it’s not happening. I’m an Alpha too."

"But you address Tyler as Beta, and Austin as Gamma Austin?"

"If that makes you jealous, then maybe you should step down and become a Beta instead."

I shook my head. It was a mistake to argue with Amara. I turned around and raised my hands in the air, ready to walk away from them. "I’m out of here. Have…"

I heard small and hurried footsteps behind me, and before I could figure out what was happening, my body was already flying towards the pool and creating a big splash when I landed.

"Mother fucker!" I growled the moment I surfaced out of the water.

I squinted my eyes and looked at the two giggling females by the side of the pool.

I usually don’t have time for this, but since I have no work on the line at the moment, maybe it was time for a payback.

I swam to the end of the pool and pushed my body up to climb out of it. Catherine and Amara shrieked, their eyes widening as they scrambled on their feet to run away from me.

"Mission abort! Alien on the loose!" Amara shrieked as she giggled loudly and ran away from the area, while Catherine dashed to where Tyler was. And my fucking Beta knew where his loyalty lies - to the females of my family.

He blocked my view of Cathrine, and I knew it was no fun arm wrestling with my Beta, so I chose the other option for revenge.

Find the little cat who thought she could toss me into the pool without facing any consequences.

"I’ll get back to you, stinky!" I pointed at my sister, my eyes squinting before I spun my body around and walked to the direction where Amara head off, not minding that I was dripping water.

"I don’t stink!" Catherine yelled before Tyler’s laugh erupted in the air. I knew Catherine would be pissed off. Well, she started this.

"I hate you, Jackson Galhart!" Catherine’s scream reached my ear as I rounded the corner.

It made me snicker. I had no reason to call her stinky, as Catherine was very high maintenance when it came to hygiene, but I just wanted to rile her up today.

Now, where the fuck did Amara hide?

Her sweet scent was so strong that even the chlorine mixture in the pool water didn’t keep me from tracking her. I climbed down the stairs to the basement and opened the empty built-in closet at the far end, near the laundry area. I found her on the top shelf, trying to fit herself in there.

"Seriously, Amara? Get out there!" My brows furrowed before I motioned with my hand.

"No. Not until you promise me you won’t throw your wrath at me."

"One!" My voice was slightly higher. "Two!"

"Go away, Jace!" She glared at me.

"We’re too old for hide and seek. Get the fuck out of there! If that collapsed, you will spend the next few days fixing it, and I will command everyone not to help you at all."

"You’re no funl!" She snapped at me before scooting her body forward so that she was now sitting on the edge with her legs hanging. "Catch me, I’ll jump."

"What? No way. You went up there on your own, now get back down…" I was not done with my words yet when my eyes widened and a growl escaped my throat.

Amara jumped out of the closet, which was just eight feet off the ground, but she jumped right in my direction, so I was left with no choice but to catch her in my arms.

"What the fuck were you thinking? We could have fallen and bumped our heads!"

She laughed heartily as her arms were locked on my neck and her legs wrapped around my hips, and I was very much aware she had a skimpy swimsuit. The tops of her breasts were flashing right before my eyes.

"And then we’ll die and go to heaven. Correction, I will go to heaven, and you will go straight to hell. End of our story. Too bad you didn’t even get the chance to meet the mate you’ve been waiting for all your life." Her last words were full of sarcasm.

I steadied my breathing as I tried to control myself.

I knew I said I would wait for my mate, but that didn’t mean females had never affected me. And Amara was so good at doing that.

But I kept praising myself for my self-control, but the position we were in was too much.

"You’re having a hard-on, Jace."

Shit.

My lips pursed into a thin line, and I smiled at her before I spoke. "So better get off me so it won’t get harder."

"No. It feels good here." She chuckled softly and wiggled her ass, rubbing my erection slightly.

"Amara…" I groaned. "I’m going to drop you."

"You can let go, and I’ll still cling in here. I’m good at that."

I swallowed hard, contemplating if I should drop her or remain in this position and just think of something else to calm my dick.

But my mind refused to go somewhere else.

"Cut it off, Amara. This is not funny anymore."

She giggled and scrambled out of my hold. I let her go and let out a deep breath. I was not sure if the sigh was out of relief or disappointment.

She placed a finger on my lips before she spoke, her eyes flitting with mischievousness. "Thank you for letting me get away without any punishment, Jace."

I raised my brows, but I remained silent. I just wanted her to get away from me. Which she would usually do when I refused to acknowledge her.

But it looked like she had no plans today. She removed her fingers from my lips and rose on her toes, and soon, her lips were brushing lightly against mine.

I should have stepped back, but I didn‘t. I remained frozen in my spot.

She was teasing me. Like she was doing for the last two years.

I wanted to close my eyes as her soft lips began sucking my bottom lip, but I didn’t. I knew if I closed my eyes, I would lose it. So I just let her do what she wants while praying she would not press her front against mine because my dick was already painfully hard.

Amara had never gone this far. She would hug and flirt with me, and she would steal kisses when no one was looking, but never this way.

And I was slowly losing control. But I knew I shouldn‘t.

If I thought she would leave because of my lack of response, I was wrong again. Her arms coiled around my neck as she withdrew her mouth from mine. Her hand went to my face as she trailed her fingers down my eyebrows and to the bridge of my nose.

"I don‘t know how you can control yourself so much. If I do this with other guys, I’m sure I’d already be pinned against the wall."

I cleared my throat before I smirked at her. "Perhaps that‘s why you enjoy doing this to me because I never budge."

"Maybe..." she said it seductively while her fingers were playing on my lips.

"I should ask for payment every time you steal kisses from me." I chuckled, trying to hide her effect on me. My eyes were just staring at her while she stared at my lips.

"Name your price, Jace. I saved up so much I’m sure I can pay you." She answered in a hoarse voice, and I was just about to counter her when all of a sudden her mouth crashed against mine.